Video Transcript: Clearing Your Home of Asthma Triggers

Text Display:

Clearing Your Home of Asthma Triggers:
The West County In-Home Asthma Trigger Check-up Program

Exterior scene:
An Asthma Advocate carrying a bucket of supplies approaches a home and knocks on the door. Carol, who lives there, answers the door.

Asthma Advocate: Hi, Carol. My name is Delphi Smith and I'm a Community Asthma Advocate, and I'm here to do your In-Home Asthma Trigger Check-up today.

Carol: Please come in.

Advocate: Thank you.

Commentary: Kim Cox, Program Manager, Contra Costa Health Services Asthma Program

Contra Costa Health Services has a comprehensive asthma program that provides outreach, education and treatment for families and particularly children that have been identified with asthma. This particular program component is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the California Endowment. And our goal has been to train residents in West Contra Costa County to be able to go into the homes of other residents and tlak to them about common triggers that are found in any home environment, and look at low-cost, practical ways to reduce those triggers -- with the goal, overall, of reducing the impact of asthma among small children and school-aged children in West Contra Costa County.

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Interior scene:
Carol and Advocate at dining table.

Advocate: Carol, the reason I'm here is to do an In-Home Asthma Trigger Check-up, and I'm a Community Asthma Advocate with the Contra Costa Health Services Asthma Program. And basically what we do is we come into your home and talk about asthma triggers, and we show you ways to reduce those triggers, and also show you some quick and cheap ways in which to reduce the triggers in your home.

Commentary: Jannat Muhammad, Asthma Community Advocate

I think we're effective because the program works, clearly it works. Many of the residents have children with asthma, but have very little information on how to reduce asthma triggers. And we provide that very helpful information to the families.

Commentary: Carol Ryan, West Contra Costa Resident

Well, I'm appreciative because there are a lot of people who know people with asthma and who have it, and a lot of people don't know what to do.

Interior scene:
Carol and Advocate at dining table.

Advocate: Carol, I brought this bucket and I'm going to leave it with you but I'm going to explain a few things that are in it. We have some containers here [displays a typical resealable plastic food container] and you can store your food in them to keep away pests.

We also have a Health at Home: Controlling Asthma video, which discusses all the common triggers that are found in the home.

We also have baking soda and a spray bottle so you can make your own cleaning products.

We also have a hypoallergenic stuffed animal. which can reduce dust mites and should be washed frequently.

We also have the asthma brochure: What You Should Know and What You Can Do. And it also gives you information on how to access medical care.

Commentary: Carol Ryan, West Contra Costa Resident

I didn't expect to get so many nice gifts. I thought that the bucket was great. I needed most of the things in there and it was a really nice gesture.

Commentary: Jannat Muhammad, Asthma Community Advocate

We were trained for the positions of Asthma Community Advocates. Originally we have 40 hours of training, provided by Contra Costa Health Services and we also have ongoing training.

Interior scene:
Carol and Advocate in a bedroom.

Advocate: Carol, in the bedroom, dust mites are a very common trigger. So what I brought for you today is this dust mite proof pillowcase, which you get to keep, and this little stuffed animal. Stuffed animals harbor dust mites, so you want to wash them frequently in hot water in order to kill the dust mites.

Commentary: Jannat Muhammad, Asthma Community Advocate

I think that community residents should be used to do the In-Home Asthma Trigger Check-ups because community residents and just much more comfortable working with people that they know, and getting information from people who they know. And I think we're very comfortable working in that situation as well, as community advocates.

Interior scene:
Carol and Advocate in a bathroom.

Advocate: Carol, you have a nice bathroom here. I see you have a window for ventilation. Some people have overhead fans or the open the door, because ventilation is very key. Mold is commonly found in the bathroom and it is a common asthma trigger. So I have this cleaning guide, for safer home cleaning methods that really work, and I have this bottle that you can mix the solutions in.

Commentary: Carol Ryan, West Contra Costa Resident

Yes, I can recommend it to others. I thought it was very helpful, useful, practical -- I would definitely recommend it.

Commentary: Kim Cox, Program Manager, Contra Costa Health Services Asthma Program

I think this is an incredibly exciting program that we're doing. We're here in West County right now, which is heavily impacted by industry, by mobile sources of air pollution that contribute to asthma, trains, refineries, other sources. Indoor triggers exist here.

I think that we can make an incredible difference in the lives of the families that we serve, and certainly in the lives of the children with asthma.

Text Display:

To schedule an In-Home Asthma Trigger Check-Up or join the West County Asthma Coalition call: 877-313-6905.

Funding for this project provided by the California Endowment and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

This has been a CCTV presentation. A service of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors.

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